Devices and methods for producing and utilizing hydrogen

ABSTRACT

An energy production and distribution system, a hydrogen production and distribution system, and a method are disclosed. The energy production and distribution system may include one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources positioned in floating and/or adjacent disposition with a body of water. An electricity generating apparatus may be disposed in an off-grid configuration on each of the maritime resources to generate electricity. Electrolysis electrodes may be electrically coupled with the electricity generating apparatus and may disposed to make contact with water in the body of water to perform an electrolysis operation to separate hydrogen from the water using the generated electricity. A hydrogen capturing element may disposed to capture the hydrogen separated from the water. A storage container may hold the hydrogen, and a conduit may be provided to transfer the hydrogen from the hydrogen capturing element to the storage container.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/860,447, filed on Jul. 31, 2013. The entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

This application relates generally to system for generating power. More specifically, this application relates to a system and method wherein hydrogen may be produced using previously decommissioned maritime resources and an electrolysis system to produce hydrogen for use as a power source.

SUMMARY

When a large organization takes on a large project away from reliable energy sources, such as the U.S. military in theatre they must consider the fuel and power for their machines; be they navel, air, or land vehicles. They must then find a friendly country that produces fuels and works with the US, or provide the logistics of shipping US produced fuels. In addition, becoming independent as a nation of all foreign oil is widely recognized as an important endeavor. There exists a number of decommissioned resources, for example maritime resources, for example U.S. Navy resources that are not be utilized, and are left to rust, and or otherwise deteriorate.

Therefore, there is a significant need for systems devices, and methods wherein energy may be produced by resources that may have been previously decommissioned and that may thereby be made useful again. There is also a significant need for a system the produce energy for example a system to produce energy in the form of hydrogen. There is also a significant need for systems devices, and methods wherein energy may be produced in a substantially self contained fashion system wide for a large organization such as the U.S. Navy, and/or the US Military.

This application discloses an energy production and distribution system, a hydrogen production and distribution system, and a method is disclosed. The energy production and distribution system may include one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources positioned in floating and/or adjacent disposition with a body of water. An electricity generating apparatus may be disposed in an off-grid configuration on each of the one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources to generate electricity. Electrolysis electrodes may be electrically coupled with the electricity generating apparatus and may disposed to make contact with water in the body of water to perform an electrolysis operation with the water to separate hydrogen from some of the water using the generated electricity from the electricity generating apparatus. A hydrogen capturing element may be disposed proximate to at least one of the electrolysis electrodes in order to capture the hydrogen separated from the water. A storage container may be supported at least partially by the one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources to hold the hydrogen, and a conduit may be provided to transfer the hydrogen from the hydrogen capturing element to the storage container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings, when considered in connection with the following description, are presented for the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the subject matter sought to be protected.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an example embodiment of an example energy and/or hydrogen production and distribution system in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of another example embodiment of an example energy and/or hydrogen production and distribution system in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of another example embodiment of an example energy and/or hydrogen production and distribution system in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of yet another example first embodiment of an example energy and/or hydrogen production and distribution system in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating another example embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure embodied as a method of forming an energy producing system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While the energy production and hydrogen production and distribution system and method is described with reference to several illustrative embodiments described herein, it should be clear that the present invention should not be limited to such embodiments. Therefore, the description of the embodiments provided herein is illustrative of the present invention and should not limit the scope of the invention. In addition, while the following description references drawings showing particular configurations and proportions, it will be appreciated that the invention may be configured to have other configurations and proportions.

The description may use perspective-based descriptions such as up/down, back/front, and top/bottom. Such descriptions are merely used to facilitate the discussion and are not intended to restrict the application of embodiments of the present invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, wherein various example hydrogen and energy production and distribution system 100 are illustrated, and made possible with a system 100 configured in accordance with one or more embodiments of the current application. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of an example energy production and distribution system 100 in accordance with the present disclosure. The energy production and distribution system 100 may include one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources 105 that may be positioned in floating and/or adjacent disposition with a body of water 110. Example previously decommissioned maritime resources 105 may include decommissioned ships, such as merchant or military ships. The body of water 110 may include an ocean, gulf, sea, river, lake, and the like.

An electricity generating apparatus 115 may be disposed in an off-grid configuration on each of the one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources 105 to generate electricity. The term “off-grid configuration” may be considered to mean not connected to a system, and/or infrastructure configured for, usually, bulk electric-power transmission of electrical energy, from generating power plants to electrical substations located near demand centers. The system, and/or infrastructure may be referred to as the “power grid”, or just “the grid”. Each of one or more electricity generating apparatuses 115 may be referred to as off-grid resources. In some cases the off-grid resources may be renewable energy resources. In some embodiments the electricity generating apparatus 115 may be one or more of a solar energy system 120, a wind energy system 125, and a wave energy system 130.

Electrolysis electrodes 135 may be electrically coupled with the electricity generating apparatus 115 and may be disposed to make contact with water 140 in the body of water 110 to perform an electrolysis operation with the water to separate hydrogen 145, as represented in the figures with bubbles, from some of the water 140 using the generated electricity from the electricity generating apparatus 115. A hydrogen capturing element 150 may be disposed proximate to at least one of the electrolysis electrodes 135 in order to capture the hydrogen 145 separated from the water 140. The hydrogen capturing element 150 may be, for example, a domelike element located above at least one of the electrolysis electrodes 135 to capture bubbles of hydrogen 145 that are separated from the water. The system 100 may also include an integrated, or separate, oxygen capturing element. The oxygen capturing element may also be a domelike element located above at least one of the electrolysis electrodes 135.

A storage container 155 may be supported, at least partially, by the one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources 105 to hold the hydrogen 145. A conduit 160 may be provided to transfer the hydrogen 145 from the hydrogen capturing element 150 to the storage container 155.

With some embodiments the electricity generating apparatus 115 may includes an electricity producing mechanism that uses some of the hydrogen produced by the electrolysis operation. For example the energy production and distribution system 100 may include a fuel cell 165 on the one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources 105 configured to use the hydrogen 145 as fuel to generate electricity for use, at least partially, by the electrolysis electrodes 135 to produce more hydrogen 145.

With some embodiments the energy production and distribution system 100 may also, or instead, include one or more steam turbines 170 configured for rotation on, or with, a shaft 175. An electric generator 180 may be driven by the shaft 175 to generate electricity wherein at least some of the hydrogen 145 captured by the hydrogen capturing element 150 may be used to boil water and/or to superheat steam, and the steam may be used to drive the or more steam turbines 170.

In various embodiments the electrolysis electrodes 135 may be located substantially below at least one of the previously decommissioned maritime resources 105. In other embodiments the electrolysis electrodes 135 may be located along side, or at a spaced apart distance from the previously decommissioned maritime resources 105.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, with some embodiments the one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources 105 may includes a platform 106 previously used for, or built for, for example, drilling for oil below the body of water. In some cases the platform may be a re-commissioned or previously decommissioned platform for other purposes, such as a heliport, or the like.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of another example embodiment of an example energy production and distribution system 100 in accordance with the present disclosure. The example illustrates an embodiment wherein the previously decommissioned maritime resources 105 may include at least one previously decommissioned U.S. Naval vessel 107. In some cases all the maritime resources may be previously decommissioned U.S. Naval vessel 107.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of another example embodiment of an example energy production and distribution system 100 in accordance with the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 3, in some cases one or more the U.S. Naval vessels 107 may be used as one or more transport vehicles 117 to transport the hydrogen 145 to the one or more land based locations 185. The one or more land based locations 185 may have one or more local energy distribution utilization mechanisms 200, such as a fuel cell, electric generator, heat pump, and the like that may utilize the hydrogen 145 transported thereto.

With some example embodiments the hydrogen 145 separated from the water may be used to power the one or more previously decommissioned US Navy ships 107 as transport ships 117 to transport the hydrogen 145 for use at the one or more land based facilities 185. The land based facilities 185 may be for example buildings 185 on land. In some cases the hydrogen 145 separated from the water may be used by the U.S. military. The buildings 185 may be on, or part of, a military base 190, for example, the buildings 185 may be one or more barracks 195.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of another example embodiment of an example energy production and distribution system 100 in accordance with the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 4, The one or more transport vehicles 117 may also include one or more electricity generating apparatus 115 such as solar energy 120, energy system 125, wave energy (not shown), and the like.

Referring again to FIGS. 1-4, wherein various example hydrogen and energy production and distribution systems 100 are illustrated, and configured in accordance with one or more embodiments of the current application. The figures show a hydrogen production and distribution system 100 that may include a plurality of previously decommissioned U.S. Navy resources 105 at least partially disposed in one or more bodies of water 110. One or more renewable energy producing mechanisms 115 may be disposed on or in relatively close proximity to each of the previously decommissioned U.S. Navy resources 105. An electrolysis arrangement 210 may extend from each of the previously decommissioned U.S. Navy resources 105 into the one or more bodies of water 110. Each electrolysis arrangement 210 may be electrically coupled with each of the one or more renewable energy producing mechanisms 115 and each may be configured to decompose water molecules from the one or more bodies of water into constituent hydrogen and oxygen. The one or more renewable energy producing mechanisms 115 may be is powered by one or more of solar energy 120, wind energy 125, and wave energy 130.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating another example embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure embodied as a method 500 of forming an energy producing system. The method 500 may include, at 510, selecting one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources. The method 500 may also include, at 520, positioning, or keeping the one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources in, or adjacent to, a body of water. The method 500 may also include, at 530, providing a renewable energy producing mechanism on board the previously decommissioned maritime resource. The method 500 may also include, at 540, positioning electrodes in the body of water. The method 500 may also include, at 550, electrically coupling the electrodes to the renewable energy producing mechanism. The method 500 may also include, at 560, performing an electrolysis operation on water from the body of water with the electrodes to separate some hydrogen from some oxygen from the water. The method 500 may also include, at 570, capturing the hydrogen separated from the water. The method 500 may also include, at 580, storing at least a portion of the captured hydrogen in a storage container.

With some embodiments the method 500 the selecting 510 may include acquiring the one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources by sale or by lease from the US Military, and/or from one or more companies involved in oil production. With some embodiments the method 500 may also include re-commissioning the one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources as US military energy producing resources. With some embodiments the method 500 may also include, transporting the hydrogen from the storage container to a land based facility, and generating electricity for use at the land based facility with the transported hydrogen. With some embodiments the method 500 may also include, transporting the hydrogen from the storage container to a U.S. military facility, and generating electricity for use at the U.S. military facility with the transported hydrogen.

While the present disclosure has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements. 

1. An energy production and distribution system comprising: one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources positioned in floating and/or adjacent disposition with a body of water; an electricity generating apparatus disposed in an off-grid configuration on each of the one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources to generate electricity; electrolysis electrodes electrically coupled with the electricity generating apparatus and disposed to make contact with water in the body of water to perform an electrolysis operation with the water to separate hydrogen from some of the water using the generated electricity from the electricity generating apparatus; a hydrogen capturing domelike element including an exterior surface and an interior surface, the domelike element submerged in the body of water, the entire interior surface in contact with the water, and disposed above at least one of the electrolysis electrodes to capture bubbles of hydrogen that are separated from the water; a storage container supported at least partially by the one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources to hold the hydrogen; and a conduit to transfer the hydrogen from the hydrogen capturing element to the storage container.
 2. The energy production and distribution system of claim 1, wherein the electricity generating apparatus is a wind energy system.
 3. The energy production and distribution system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen separated from the water is used to power at least one of the previously decommissioned maritime resources to transport the hydrogen for use at one or more land based facilities.
 4. (canceled)
 5. The energy production and distribution system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen separated from the water is used by at least one of the previously decommissioned maritime resources on the body of water from where it was separated.
 6. The energy production and distribution system of claim 1, wherein the electricity generating apparatus includes an electricity producing mechanism that uses some of the hydrogen produced by the electrolysis operation.
 7. The energy production and distribution system of claim 1, further comprising a fuel cell on the one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources configured to use the hydrogen as fuel to generate electricity for use, at least partially, by the electrolysis electrodes to produce more hydrogen. 8-9. (canceled)
 10. The energy production and distribution system of claim 1, wherein the previously decommissioned maritime resources includes a platform previously used for, or built for, drilling for oil below the body of water.
 11. The energy production and distribution system of claim 1, wherein hydrogen produced by the system is at least partially transported to one or more land based locations via the one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources.
 12. The energy production and distribution system of claim 1, further comprising one or more steam turbines configured for rotation on a shaft, and an electric generator driven by the shaft to generate electricity wherein at least some of the hydrogen captured by the hydrogen capturing element is used to boil water and/or to superheat steam, and the steam is used to drive the or more steam turbines.
 13. (canceled)
 14. A hydrogen production and distribution system comprising: a plurality of previously decommissioned U.S. Navy resources at least partially disposed in one or more bodies of water; one or more renewable energy producing mechanisms disposed on or in relatively close proximity to each of the previously decommissioned U.S. Navy resources; an electrolysis arrangement extending from each of the previously decommissioned U.S. Navy resources into the one or more bodies of water, each electrolysis arrangement electrically coupled with each of the one or more renewable energy producing mechanisms and each configured to decompose water molecules from the one or more bodies of water into constituent hydrogen and oxygen.
 15. The energy production and distribution system of claim 14, wherein the one or more renewable energy producing mechanisms is powered by one or more of solar energy, wind energy, and wave energy.
 16. The hydrogen production and distribution system of claim 14, wherein the one or more renewable energy producing mechanisms is powered by one or more of solar energy, wind energy, and wave energy.
 17. A method of forming an energy producing system comprising: selecting one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources; positioning, or keeping the one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources in, or adjacent to, a body of water; providing a renewable energy producing mechanism on board the previously decommissioned maritime resource; positioning electrodes in the body of water; electrically coupling the electrodes to the renewable energy producing mechanism; performing an electrolysis operation on water from the body of water with the electrodes to separate some hydrogen from some oxygen from the water; capturing the hydrogen separated from the water; and storing at least a portion of the captured hydrogen in a storage container.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the selecting includes acquiring the one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources by sale or by lease from the US Military, and/or from one or more companies involved in oil production.
 19. The method of claim 17, further comprising: re-commissioning the one or more previously decommissioned maritime resources as US military energy producing resources.
 20. The method of claim 17, further comprising: transporting the hydrogen from the storage container to a U.S. military facility; and generating electricity for use at the U.S. military facility with the transported hydrogen.
 21. The energy production and distribution system of claim 1, wherein the electricity generating apparatus is a wave energy system.
 22. The energy production and distribution system of claim 1, wherein the electricity generating apparatus is a solar energy system. 